Roller-bearing.



H. HESS.

ROLLER BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1907.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

lwwcutop Wihwmeo HENRY HESS, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROLLER-BEAM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Appuaation filed January 2, 1907. Serial No. 350,414.

Patented Dec. 2'7, 1910.

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY Hess, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Roller-Bearing, of whichthe following is a. specification.

My invention relates to roller-bearings and has for a primary object theprovision in such a bearing of means for excluding foreign matter fromthe bearing and for retaining lubricant within it.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be more definitely setforth hereinafter in connection with the detailed description of theaccompanying drawing which illustrates an exemplifying .structure inwhich my invention is embodied, and in which- Figure 1 is an end view ofa bearing embodylng my invention, certain parts of the structure beingbroken awa Flg. 2, a plan view of the bearing with the outer bearingring removed; Fig. 3, a section at 3-3, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4, a section at4-4, Fig. 1.

I have chosen as a mechanical embodiment of my invention a ball-bearingof the annular, non-adjustable type, but it is to be understood that theprincipal feature of the invention-tl1e means for excluding dirt andretaining lubricant-may be employed in connection with bearings havingother forms of rollers than balls, or in adjustable bearings, Further,in the specific embodiment of the invention I employ a cage or spacingdevice for separating the balls from each other, and the means forexcluding dirt and retainin lubricant are assembled in connection withparts of this cage or separator; but it is to be understood that suchmeans may be em loyed in connection with bearings of the ull t pe (thatis, employing no cage or separatorl or if such a cage is used that thedirt-excluding and lubricant retaining devices may be independent ofsuch separating device.

Proceeding now with a description of an exemplifying embodiment'of myinvention: Reference numeral 5 designates an inner bearing-ring; 6, anouter bearing-ring; 7 races of curved cross-section formed in the rings;8, balls in the races; 9, separator rings, one on each side of thebearing; 10, sleeves or spreaders interposed between'the balls andspacing rings 9 the roper distance apart; 11, rivets passing t rough thespreaders and rings 9 and headed up so as to hold the rings against thes readers; 12, (see Fig. 1) holes in ring 9 0 any suitable shape butpreferably made oval, as shown, which permit a segment of thecorresponding ball to be engaged byrings 9 and so maintam the balls atthe proper distance apart and yet permit a certain amount of relativemovement of the balls toward and from each other.

The spreaders 10 and rivets 11 are only representative of means forholding se arator rings 9 in proper relation to the ba s, and the holes12 in the rings are only representative of'means for spacing the :1 art.Instead of perforations entirely t irough rings 9, depressions in therings on the sides ad acent to the balls may be substituted, or holesand depressions may be dispensed with and the separator rings drawntogether between each two balls so that the spring action of the ringsthem-' selves tends to return the balls to a central position betweenthe spreaders when displaced therefrom.

The parts described constitute a complete ball-bearing which has beendescribed in detail as bein especially ada ted for the application of mydirt-exclu ing and oil-retaining device, one form of which will now beparticularly described.

13 are packing or sealing washers of felt or woven fabric or othersuitable material, one at each side of the row of balls, lying againstone of the separator rings 9; these washers areof such width as to touchthe cylindrical bores let of the bearing-rings at each side andcompletely close the opening between the rings so as to exclude exteriordirt, etc., and retain lubricating material such as Vaseline, etc.,which may be placed in balls the ball races between the separator rings9.

15 are spring rings conveniently of V-section, as shown, one placedoutside of each of the Washers 13 and secured in place by rivets 16passing through them, the washers, and separator rings 9.

The outer and inner surfaces of washers 13 are preferably rounded off,as shown.-

under initial tension, and the flanges tend to spread out to a widerangle,'so that as'the washers wear away where they contact with thebearing rings, this wear is compensated for b the spring ringscompressing the ma-,

teria of the washers continually 1nto con I tact with surfaces 14.

this case they need have no active contact wlth the balls, and spreadersand rivets 11 will simply serve to hold the dirt-exeluding andoil-retaining devices in proper assembled position in the bearing.

The particular sealing devices described. are only reg esentative of anysuitable means applie directly to a bearing of the type described andforming an integral part of the bearing, for excluding dirt andretaining lubricant, and many variations in the form and details of suchdevicesmay be made without departing from my invention.

From the foregoing I it appears that broadly considered my inventionconsists in means assembled as a part of a roller-bearing for excludingdirt and retaining lubricant; and more specifically it consists, whenemployed in connection with an annular bearing of the non-adjustabletype, of means for sealing the opening between the rings of such abearing; and that when employed in connection with bearings containing acage or separator in some cases it may consist in combining the sealingdevices with a portion of such cage.

I claim:

1. In a non-adjustable ball-bearing forming a self-contained operativeunit, the combination of an inner and an outer bearing ring, a series ofballs running in races therein, washers serving to close the spacebetween the bearing rings, and means urging the washers into contactwith said rings.

2. In a unit assembled ball bearing, the combination of an inner and anouter bearing ring, a series of balls running in races therein, washersserving to close the space between the bearing rings, and spring ringsapplied to the washers and exerting a pres-' sure serving to keep thewashers always in contact with the rings.

3'. In a nonadjustable ball-bearing, the

combination of an inner and an outer bearmg ring, balls running in racestherein, a separator for spacing the balls apart, and washers one oneach side of the balls secured to members of the separator, and devicesapplied to the washers for maintaining them in active contact with thebearing rlngs.

4. In a ball-bearing the combination of an inner and an outer caringring, a series of. balls running in' races therein, an annular plate. ateach side of the ball series, said plates being secured together andserving to space the balls apart, a sealing washer on each of thewashers and secured to the corresponding plate serving to hold thewasher in active contact with the bearing rings.

5. A non-adjustable ball bearing comprising two bearing rings and ballsrunning in races therein, said bearing rings being spaced apart adjacentto the balls, sealing devices free to rotate in relation to both of therings and serving to close the spaces between the rings, and means forretaining the sealing devices in closecontact with the rings.

6. The-combination of two bearing rings provided with races a series ofballs in the races, thebearing rlngs being spaced apart on each side ofthe ball series, flat rings, one on each side of the ball series, meansfor connecting said rings, V-shaped spring rings, one connected to eachof the flat rings, and washers, one secured between each of the springrings and the corresponding fiat ring, the edges of the washers being incontact 'with surface edges of the bearing rings-and serving to excludedirt and retain lubricant.

.7. In a unit assembled ball bearing, the combination with two bearingrings provided with confronting races and a series of balls in theraces, the rings being se arated from each other on each side of the allseries, ofretaining rings on each side of the ball 7 series and providedwith means for engaging I and spacing the balls apart, a connectionbetween the rctaining rings, a yieldable sealing device carried by eachring and means for urging the sealing device into contact with thebearing rings so as to close the spaces between said rings. a

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

HENRY HESS.

Witnesses:

' THEO. H. MCALLA, Nn'r'r n L. HAHN.

. each of the plates, and a spring ring outside

